Newsletters

CME Opportunities

Congratulations Nick Mohr!

The Department of Anesthesia now has 7 new Oral Board Examiners.

Stuart Cullen Award Winner 2014-2015

Sung Kim

Stuart Cullen Award Winner 2014-2015

We want to congratulate Sung Kim, M4, who is the recipient of the 2014-2015 Stuart Cullen Award. The Stuart Cullen Award is granted by the Anesthesia Residents to a senior medical student who by scholastic achievement and clinical performance has demonstrated outstanding capabilities in the field of Anesthesiology during their senior clerkship in the Department.

Congratulations Sung!

Congratulations to Dr. Yasser El-Hattab

Congratulations to Yasser El-Hattab, M.B., Ch.B., M.M.E., Clinical Assistant Professor of Anesthesia. Upon nomination of Michael Todd, M.D., Professor, Chair and Departmental Executive Officer of Anesthesia, Dr. El-Hattab was selected to receive a certificate of appreciation in recognition of his contributions to medical education within the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. Debra Schwinn, M.D., Professor of Anesthesia, Pharmacology, and Biochemistry, and Dean of the College presented the recipients their awards.

Congratulations to Dr. Max Baker

Congratulations to Dr. Max Baker, who received a $56,873 Commercialization Gap Fund award from the Office of the Vice President for Research.

With this award he plans to develop an “Easy-to-Use Buccal Drug Delivery Device for the Urgent Treatment of Seizures” and begin moving this device toward commercialization.

The purpose of this Commercialization Gap Fund is to support the development of innovations with commercial potential through a range of stages in technology development, from initial concept, through proof of concept, to licensing and commercialization.

Congratulations to Dr. Ron Abrons

Congratulations to Dr. Ron Abrons, who received a $25,786 Commercialization GAP Fund award from the Office of the Vice President for Research. These funds will be used to build and trial working prototypes of the Articulated Oral Airway device for which he recently received a patent.

Announcing a Fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesia

The University of Iowa Department of Anesthesia has been awarded an ACGME-accredited FELLOWSHIP in PEDIATRIC ANESTHESIA! Congratulations to Dr. Martin Mueller (Fellowship Director), Dr. Joss Thomas, Dr. Debb Szeluga, and the rest of the pediatric anesthesia faculty who worked on the application and developed the clinical practice and educational program so that we could qualify for this fellowship. A pediatric anesthesia fellow will start on July 1, 2015.

The educational commitment to pediatric anesthesia training will be an asset to the department as well as the free-standing University of Iowa Children’s Hospital that is to be completed in the spring of 2016.

Congratulations to Dr. Kent Pearson

Congratulations to Dr. Kent Pearson, who won the 2014 University of Iowa Physicians Excellence in Our Workplace Award. This award is given to a medical director, whose leadership and innovation demonstrably improves the “practice life” and satisfaction of providers in the delivery of clinical care.

The University of Iowa Physicians (UIP) Clinical Awards were established in 2011 to honor clinical excellence among members of the UIP. Nominations are accepted annually from any UI Physician member or participant and evaluated by the UIP Clinical Awards Committee.

Congratulations to Matthew Van Winkle and Dr. Satoshi Hanada

Dr. Hanada

Congratulations to Matthew Van Winkle, an M2 medical student from Eastern Virginia Medical School, who won the Best Abstract Presented in the Clinical Sciences Division award at the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowship (FAER MSARF) Symposium at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) annual meeting in New Orleans. Mr. Van Winkle worked in our department as a FAER medical student this summer, where he was mentored by Dr. Satoshi Hanada. Dr. Hanada and Mr. Van Winkle worked on a randomized controlled study to compare two different saphenous vein cannulation techniques.

The FAER MSARF Symposium is now in its 10th year at the ASA meeting and showcases the FAER-funded research projects conducted by medical students in anesthesiology laboratories across the nation. This forum features poster and oral presentations that MSARF participants have prepared about their research. The Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowship is a program FAER implemented to increase the number of outstanding medical students who want to pursue academic careers in anesthesiology research.

Congratulations to Dr. Brent Hadder

Congratulations to Dr. Brent Hadder, who was a co-author on the winning poster presented at the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) national conference. Mary Belding-Schmitt, Dr. Hadder, and Mary Kay Brooks won the abstract poster competition with their poster, “Using ACS NSQIP Data to Uncover Documentation Errors.”

Congratulations to Dr. Toshihiro Kitamoto

Congratulations to Dr. Toshihiro Kitamoto, who received funding for his National Science Foundation grant, “Neuroendocrine modulation of sleep under starvation stress in Drosophila.” Dr. Kitamoto will receive $565,000 over the next three years.

The focus of the study is on steroid hormones and their involvement in starvation-induced sleep suppression (SISS), an evolutionarily conserved behavioral response to starvation. The outcome of this research is expected to make an important general contribution to the field of behavioral neuroendocrinology, given the universal importance of the molecular components studied (steroids, dopamine and G-protein coupled receptor), and the adaptive behavior of interest (SISS).

2014 Anesthesia Resident & Fellow Graduation Photos

Congratulations to Dr. Donna Hammond

Congratulations to Dr. Donna Hammond, who has received funding for her NIH grant, T32NS045549, “Interdisciplinary Training in Pain Research.” Dr. Hammond will receive $1,013,008 over the next five years.

This grant provides support for two predoctoral and two postdoctoral trainees each year. Dr. Hammond is beginning the 11th year of this grant, a remarkable accomplishment.

Congratulations To Yasser El-Hattab

During graduation ceremonies for Anesthesia Nursing Program Class of 2014, Dr. Yasser El-Hattab was named the “Physician Instructor of the year”. The class of 2014 chose Dr. El-Hattab for his commitment and passion towards teaching and his dedication to patient care; ensuring that patients were always cared for by "the best anesthesia team!” Dr El-Hattab taught the graduates for three years in the classroom and the clinical arena and has been teaching SRNAs in the program for 11-plus years since his arrival in Iowa City.

Congratulations To Dave Swanson

We have just learned from Chris Cooper, Dean for Student Affairs, that David has been chosen as one of the new Learning Community Directors for the Carver College of Medicine. For those of you that aren’t familiar with this, every incoming medical student is assigned to one of four “Learning Communities”. They remain with this group throughout medical school. The Community is a bit like the “Houses” at Hogwarts - except that the students don't live in them. Each Community has a faculty Director who serves as an advisor, mentor and all-around problem solver for the students. Having one of the communities led by an Anesthesiologist is a real feather in both David's cap - and the Department's.

Congratulations to Ken Ueda

Ken Ueda has been awarded the UIHC Faculty Excellence in Coaching Award for 2014. He is one of only 5 individuals given this award (out of over 800 eligible faculty). Dr. Ueda was nominated by the Anesthesia Residency Program supported by comments from current fellows and residents. This award recognizes his great teaching and service to the UIHC. The Faculty Excellence in Coaching award comes with a certificate and a cash prize.

Congratulations Frank Jareczek

Frank Jareczek was awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award for Individual Dual Doctoral Fellows for his grant proposal entitled "Mechanistic Bases for the Adverse Interaction of Nicotine and Chronic Pain." Mr. Jareczek is a Neuroscience M.D./Ph.D. student in the laboratory of Donna Hammond, Ph.D. This is a four year fellowship award for $135,327.

This project seeks to identify and characterize the central mechanisms underpinning the pain facilitating effects of nicotine. A better understanding of these nociceptive mechanisms would facilitate the development of more efficacious behavioral and pharmacological interventions for the management of chronic pain in smokers and nonsmokers alike.

Iowa Anesthesia Columbian Mission Trip

Drs. Krohe, Titler and Kerr on Columbia Mission Trip.

Iowa Anesthesia Team in Guatemala

Drs. Swanson, Meiners, Gore and Muellerat the Miles of Smiles Event In Guatemala.

Congratulations to Dr. Toshihiro Kitamoto

Congratulations to Dr. Toshihiro Kitamoto, who was awarded a Carver Collaborative Pilot Grant for his project, “Nutritional Therapy for Genetically Inherited Seizure in Drosophila.” Dr. Kitamoto is collaborating with Dr. Chun-Fang Wu, Professor in the Department of Biology, and will receive $30,000 for up to two years.

Congratulations to Drs. Satoshi Hanada and Ken Ueda

Congratulations to Drs. Satoshi Hanada and Ken Ueda, who have been matched with students for the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowship Program this summer.

Dr. Hanada will mentor Matt Van Winkle, a medical student from Eastern Virginia Medical School who will enter his M2 year in fall 2014. Dr. Hanada and Matt will be working on a randomized controlled study to compare two different saphenous vein cannulation techniques.

Dr. Ueda will mentor David Janiczek on a study to continuously map trends followed by specific hemodynamic monitors in post-op patients using non-invasive impedance cardiography (ICG). David is a medical student from the University of Iowa who will be entering his M2 year in fall 2014.

Congratulations to Sundar Krishnan

Congratulations to Sundar Krishnan, M.B.B.S., Clinical Assistant Professor of Anesthesia. Upon nomination of Michael Todd, M.D., Professor, Chair and Departmental Executive Officer of Anesthesia, Dr. Krishnan was selected to receive a certificate of appreciation in recognition of his contributions to medical education within the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. In total, 24 faculty members representing various departments throughout the healthcare campus received this special honor. Debra Schwinn, M.D., Professor of Anesthesia, Pharmacology, and Biochemistry, and Dean of the College presented the recipients their awards.

Center for Pain Medicine and Regional Anesthesia in the News!

The Fall 2013 issue of the University of Iowa Health Care publication, Health at Iowa, featured an article entitled, "Easing Back Pain: Neurostimulator 'A Big Step Forward'." Highlighted within this article is the Department of Anesthesia Center for Pain Medicine and Regional Anesthesia, including Foad Elahi, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor. Together with Chandan Reddy, M.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, they worked with a patient who had suffered pain since a 2010 car accident. To read more on their role in this patient's recovery, see the full article at http://medcom.uiowa.edu/health/easing-back-pain-neurostimulator-a-big-step-forward/#more-4141.

Foad Elahi

Chandan Reddy

Congratulations to Emily Petruccelli

Congratulations to Emily Petruccelli, a genetics graduate student in the laboratory of Toshihiro Kitamoto, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesia. Emily was awarded first place at the 2013 University of Iowa Genetics Graduate Program Retreat which was held on Friday, October 11, 2013. Emily received the Genetics Retreat Oral Presentation Award for her oral report entitled, "Drosophila DopEcR, a Dual Receptor for Ecysteroids and Dopamine, Modulates Ethanol-induced Sedation and Hyperactivity." Our department congratulates Emily on this accomplishment. We also thank Dr. Kitamoto for his mentorship.

Toshi Kitamoto

Emily Petruccelli

Faculty Promotion News

Congratulations to these faculty members on their promotion to Clinical Associate Professor!

John Laur, M.D.

Ken-ichi Ueda, M.D.

Congratulations to these faculty members on their appointment as Clinical Assistant Professor!